Prolific stage-trained Canadian character player who convinces as crafty villains, morally bankrupt officials and heartless authority figures in American films and TV since the 1960s. Vernon has been directed by some stellar filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock ("Topaz" 1969), George Cukor ("Justine" 1969), Don Siegel ("Dirty Harry" 1971), and Clint Eastwood ("The Outlaw Josey Wales" 1975).After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and honing his skills in Canadian theater and TV, Vernon made his US film debut in John Boorman's noir/gangster classic, "Point Blank" (1967) as a
